Robert Kent Finley Jr. M.D., (1924 - 2022) - ForeverMissed.com Online Memorials

Let the memory of Robert be with us forever.

97 years old
Born on July 23, 1924 in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, United States
Passed away on July 15, 2022 in Oregonia, Ohio, United States

This memorial website was created in memory of our loved one, Robert Finley Jr. M.D., 97 years old, born on July 23, 1924, and passed away on July 15, 2022. We will remember him forever.

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Caifang Zhang

March 14

In Hangzhou, when the little white Osmanthus ( Gui Hua) Flowers is blooming, Bob comes. When the beautiful Welcome Spring flowers ( Ying Chun Hua) is dropping , he leaves. These two flowers have lots of memories and stories of us. Every time, I pass the Osmanthus tree, smell the sweet flowers, there is a lovely smile face there, it is Dr Finley, Bob. He said to me, ‘ You are smart’. ‘ You have a beautiful big smile.’ ‘I like your family’. There are lots lots of conversations we had, I remember his encouragement which help me build my confidence. I believe he is always there. Miss him.

March 11

Dr. Bob Finley was a man of integrity, not materialistic, a good man- I would say a holy man.
I managed the retirement plan for Drs Finley & Miller and Dr. Finley performed a subtotal thyroidectomy on me in 1977.
It was after he retired that I really got to know him.
So many memories.
We have a group of friends from St. Charles that have been getting together on the first Friday of every month for 55 years. Once I invited Dr. Finley to speak to our group about his experiences in China.
Bob came to our house for dinner a number of times on his motorcycle.
On 9/11 Bob invited my wife, Carol, and I to have dinner at his home with Ben and Miriam Schuster.
Our son ,Brian biked while in college and encouraged me to kike with a group for 40 or 80 miles. My bike had one gear, I had no bike pants. After 25 miles my butt was so sore I had to keep stopping. I went 40 miles while Brian and Bob went 80 miles.
Bob and I attended the ATP tennis tournament every year meting in Middletown.
Once Carol rode to the tennis with Bob in his smart car.
My first email was to Bob in China.
Carol and I visited bob a few times in his last years.
Bob always sent thank you notes for every occasion.
A grandchild once asked bob if he was saved.
Yes indeed

November 17, 2022

Dr. Finley,
You always spoke with me, not at me. We first met when Lisa (Anna) brought me home for lunch. We were in 7th & 8th grades and just testing to see if our friendship had lasting possibilities! I remember you as smiling, mischievous, and always with a twinkle of high intelligence in your eyes. It was so cool that you enjoyed ice cream, sporty cars, and motorcycles as a surgeon. At some point during high school, I managed to take the mirror off one of your cars learning to back out of the garage. You saw it as the cost of learning and did not make me feel like the dunce I certainly felt like in the moment. There was a Father-Daughter Dance that we all shared and I wished my father would make an effort to make you a friend. I am forever grateful that you gave the world your daughter, Anna. She is deeply spiritual, devotedly creative, profoundly loving and so very authentic in all that she does and takes on. Over the years, I have come to see that many of her strengths (dutifulness, bravery, searching for divine connection, reinvention, and making the world a better place) have come through her father. Through moves to London, NYC, upstate NY, and Seattle, you gave her room and wings to be herself. When she returned to Ohio, I was so grateful to have 12 years of raising all of our children in closer proximity. My sons, Gabriel and Vincent Lee grew to think of you as a grandfather presence. Your encouragement and generous support of my Lance's efforts to take on medical school in his early 30s changed the course of our lives. You were always there, always asking how it was going, always reminding Lance that it is an honor to be called on to care for patients. As the years passed and you shifted from practicing medicine to inspiring the next generation, I continued to grow in respect for you because at each step you were able to transition with grace from doer to teacher. Your China chapter was remarkable, adventurous and so wonderfully out-of-the-box! Even to the end, you engaged with curiosity and insisted on getting your walks in. I love the courage it took to live this last chapter with Anna's family. In the end, it is our family and our friendships that reveal a life well lived. You left a message of dedication, growth, continuous learning, helping others, giving back, supporting family, encouraging the physicians coming behind you, enjoying life, openness to other cultures, and fast rides. Thank you for being you fully.

August 10, 2022

I worked in Dr. Finley's office at Miami Valley Hospital for approx. 5 yrs. in the 70's. As a young women just joining the workforce he gave me my first "real job". Not knowing very much about medicine, he was very kind to give me the opportunity to learn and eventually become an asset to his practice. I always had to chuckle to myself when changing out his lab coats for the day there was ALWAYS an empty bag of M&M's in the pocket and sometimes 2!!!
We became good friends following each others various travels. His letters, postcards and eventually emails were always the most descriptive and detailed and made me feel as if I was there, in Africa, China or riding a bike through Europe.
It is sad not to receive his phone calls and I will miss his friendship. Rest in peace Dr. Finley, you are missed.

August 5, 2022

Dr. Robert K. Finley was a giant in my eyes. He was always professional, and could contribute to the solutions. Dr. Finley left such a legacy-- including helping to set up the Burn Unit at Miami Valley Hospital, and educating surgical residents and medical students. His contributions to our community are many, and he will be missed.

July 31, 2022

I’ve always felt a strong connection to my grandfather, in part because I share the same initials with him and my dad. My fondest memories of my grandfather were at his farm in Oregonia, Ohio. I lived at the farm for a few months when I was young and when I started my career as an occupational therapist. I loved our oatmeal breakfasts together. We would watch storms roll in from the porch on hot July days and pick raspberries, tomatoes, and corn from his garden. I remember planting trees with him on the farm and riding the tractor home. Some days we would walk through the woods to the creek and look for fossils and box turtles.

My grandfather was ambitious yet humble. He actively practiced compassion and acceptance of all people regardless of age, beliefs, culture, gender, race, and ethnicity. It wasn’t until later in life that I realized he co-founded the burn center at Miami Valley Hospital and became professor emeritus of surgery at Wright State University. He committed his life after retirement to teaching surgery and service around the world. He had the courage to help in the face of horrendous tragedy and provided healthcare to communities after the genocide of the Tutsi group in Rwanda. We were pen pals when he taught surgery in Kenya. I was so delighted to receive his letters! He carefully picked out stickers for each hand-written note and even sent me a preserved lizard (my request as a 7-year-old was for an “alive” lizard but I loved it anyway). I remember when my family visited him in Hangzhou, China, and we walked part of the Great Wall together. He modeled the importance of giving back, being connected to a community, and loving your neighbor.

My grandfather was adventurous and rode his motorcycle for as long as he could, well into his ‘70s and perhaps beyond. He was incredibly progressive and forward-thinking—he even bought a SMART car. He believed in taking risks and trusted me to make good decisions. He was there when I needed him the most. He told me, “It’s not always the smartest or the most talented people who are successful, but the ones who persevere and show up.” I would not be where I am today without him. I miss him dearly and will forever hold his memory in my heart.

July 26, 2022

You were a dear friend,
When we first met, we barely understood each other;
Yet you were always there and you listened;
You were a mentor,
When you knew I had a dream, you were excited like no other;
So you encouraged and you guided;
You were family,
When I was alone in a foreign land; frustrated; and wanted to go no further;
Nonetheless you adopted me in as one of your own;
You called me an Irish,
Because that was who you were;
You cheered me on every step of the way,
Because you believed in what I was capable of;
You walked me down the aisle,
Because we were like father like daughter,
Words cannot express how much I miss you and will miss you;
However, you taught me strong enough to carry on;
And I am confident that I will see your face again.

July 25, 2022

Bob was a surgical innovator and mentor to so many. I will be ever grateful to the support he gave me starting as a young surgeon and throughout my professional career. His influence is ongoing as his mentees continue to pay it forward.

July 24, 2022

Respected Dear Dr.Bob,
We are missing you greatly as you would be 98 years today.
We are greatly blessed as you were a father figure
to us since you came to Kenya to work at Lugulu mission hospital.
You always kept in touch wherever you went after
Your work in Kenya.
We were lucky to host you at our house in London & Cork (Ireland) .
We were blessed by your presence at our daughter Sejal's wedding.
We really enjoyed our time with your family when we visited your house near Dayton.
We pray almighty to rest your soul in eternal peace and give strength to your family to bear your great loss.
We once more thank Anna and family for keeping in contact with us.
Regards to all.
Best Wishes from,
Dr.Suresh Patel & Pam.

July 23, 2022

Right now… words are not suffice it to express my sorrow. The idea that Dr Finley or Bob, has gone forever still feels too unreal , too raw…He would have been 98 today. Few weeks ago , I was still contemplating birthday presents….

Thanks to his generosity, lifetime mentorship and friendship- I was able to pursue my dream of becoming a physician and person I am today. May his legacy inspires and benefits generations to come.

In lieu of flowers, cards, birthday presents-please give gift of life in loving memory of an extraordinary family man, surgeon/physician, mentor, teacher, inventor and friend…https://webapp2.wright.edu/online-giving/give.php?site=ADV&action=get_form

Cady , Dr Xue Yan, Jiang (UK).

July 23, 2022

Bob, thanks for the memories.

July 22, 2022

Indeed, these words before me ring true. I only made his acquaintance a few years ago and realized rather quickly that Dr. Finley was an accomplished fellow. But over the long haul I discovered that, above all, he was a human being who knew how to treat others. His awareness of others guided by his compassion was for him a daily guide.

July 21, 2022

May his journey be blessed by the one who made him, the one known as the most forgiving and caring maker of all.

July 21, 2022

I worked with Dr. Finley at Miami Valley Hospital for many years in surgery. He was a favorite of mine. His soft spoken voice and tone immediately demonstrated his kindness and compassion. While we were scrubbed in a case I would always ask him to say, "Go ahead, make my day." because he sounded like Clint Eastwood when he said it. He would just laugh. lol He loved riding his bike. He loved teaching. I loved working with him except for the heat in the room during the burn cases. It had to be 90° and it was brutal when you were in all your scrub attire, but it had to be done. I learned a lot from Dr. Finley. He was an exceptional man, a wonderful teacher and mentor to many.Condolences to his family.

July 21, 2022

I worked with Dr. Finley for ten years on the Burn Unit at Miami Valley Hospital. He was a kind, gentle man and a leader of many. The Burn Unit was his legacy and continues to serve many people. It was an honor to know him. May his memory be eternal.

July 21, 2022

As a family member I am biased. All of us who have relatives have our favorites and Robert Finley was one of mine. He and my late father (another Robert) were first cousins and born a year apart. Over the years I heard tales from their youth including the occasional travels they took together with their parents. My memories of Robert go back to the early 1960's with family gatherings at "the farm". He was always kind and interested and patient with me. I always appreciated his sense of humor. In our later years we occasioned to visit together a few times and from those rare visits I was reminded of how rooted my family was in decency. In his final years he took special care and interest in my brother, Peter, for which I am grateful. All of us who knew Robert Kent Finley, Jr. are enriched and better for it.
Larry Landaker
Austin, TX

July 20, 2022

in lieu of flowers, a program fund in Dr. Finley's memory is being created at Wright State University for the Boonshoft School of Medicine's Department of Surgery. Memorial gifts can be made online at wright.edu/give/finleymemorial or by mail to Wright State University Foundation, 3640 Colonel Glenn Highway, Dayton, OH 45435. If you have questions, please contact Nicki Crellin with Wright State at 937-245-7634.

July 20, 2022

Doc Finley was a great resident of Wayne Township. He was involved and out spoken on issues he believed in. Always a true gentleman and very loving and caring. I considered him a true mentor, friend and a man of great wisdom. I cherish all of the great conversations we had over the years that help mold me into a better person.
A Friend that lives in my heart.
Gus Edwards
Wayne Township Administrator

July 19, 2022

I met Dr Finley while I was a medical student on an away rotation in China. His gentle demeanor and kind influence can still be felt decades later and thousands of miles away. I feel blessed to have met him.

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Caifang Zhang

March 14

March 11

November 17, 2022

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Gallery

With Ruth, Rebecca, and great grandchildren (Benjamin and Clara)

Ruth, Rebecca, and meeting Clara (his great grand daughter)

Reds Game with Grandpa, my Dad, and Daniel

Grandpa at my wedding (Rebecca KF Lassell)

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His Life

Obituary

Robert Kent Finley Jr. died at his home on July 15, 2022, at the age of 97. Always an innovative influencer, he and two friends, John Herbert, and Dick Christian, began working various jobs during high school from 25-35 cents/hr. to save money for the purchase of a car which they took on a trip out West. They wrote accounts of their adventure for the local newspaper. Robert was part of the Navy’s V-12 program during WWII, which provided accelerated medical education. He briefly attended Haverford and Swarthmore colleges, and Ohio State University and finished medical school at Jefferson Medical College. He married Georganne Ozias in 1949 and began surgical residency after a stent with the Navy in 1949-50 in Trinidad. While a surgical resident he participated in the first successful open-heart surgery using the heart and lung machine with Dr. John Gibbon. He began practicing surgery with his father, Robert Kent Finley Sr., around 1956 in Dayton and continued practicing surgery for more than 30 years. Robert was instrumental in founding the burn unit at Miami Valley Hospital. He was a teacher, and mentor for countless medical students and surgical residents. Upon retirement he volunteered his services overseas in various settings including Jamaica, American Samoa, Kenya, and Rwanda. He is most remembered for more than 10 years of volunteer service at Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital in Hangzhou, China where he helped build a surgical residency program modeled after that at Wright State University. Mentoring young leaders, especially in surgery, was his passion, employing the motto, “give hearty praise and lavish approbation.” This is found on his bedroom door printed in capitals with very large font. He was an inspiration and a highly accomplished influencer of people for good. “Help people,” he often said, though he claimed not to give advice.

He was proceeded in death by his wife, Georganne. Surviving are 5 children, Robert Kent Finley III, Charles Devon Finley, David Ganiard Finley, Anna Finley Schroeder, and Richelle Cramer Piper as well as 11 grandchildren and 9 grand-grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts can be made to benefit the Department of Surgery through the Wright State University Foundation for the "Robert K. Finley Jr., M.D. Memorial Fund" 3640 Colonel Glenn Hwy., Dayton, OH 45435.

Photos, videos, and tributes may be placed and viewed at https://robert-kent-finleyjrmd.forevermissed.com

The Robert Finley I came to know...

March 2

I have known Robert since I was a child. His father, Dr. Kent Finley, and my grandmother, Ethel Finley Landaker, were siblings. In my early days I visited "the farm" many times, occasionally getting to fish in the pond there, sometimes with his son Rob. In the early days I didn't know what to make of Robert--quiet and cerebral. Over the years I came to know him as one of the most humble, polite and kind men I have ever known. On my visits there he was always interested in learning about my world. He was especially kind and patient with my brother whenever he visited. Robert's cheery disposition easily put one at ease and I am grateful for the visits we had. Patients who had him were lucky. I am a better person for having known him and in life, I endeavor to treat people in the very manner he exemplified.

Thanks

March 1

Thanks Dr. Finley for letting me get to know you. I’d like to think I’m a better person for that. You made time for me and made me feel welcome. You left a legacy with your children and I see them continuing in your footsteps. You are missed but will never be forgotten. Thank you again for your contributions.

From The Dayton Daily News - July 20, 1941

July 26, 2022

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"Many Attractions Keep Dayton Touring Students Busy on Coast"

Los Angeles, Cal., July 19 -- During the past week our mode of living has completely changed and we find a roof over our heads for every meal and every night's slumber. Home cooked meals were a most welcome change to us and we really are becoming so spoiled out here that it will be difficult to delve into the cans once more.

Thursday morning found us still trying to recuperate from the "blitz" across the desert [sic]. It was not until Thursday noon that we started our sightseeing in Southern California. As Forest Lawn cemetery was nearby it initiated our inspection of Los Angeles. After spending several thoroughly interesting hours upon the beautiful grounds of the cemetery and in the mausoleums, we made our next stop at the Columbia Broadcasting Studio building. Here, accompanied by our guide and 10 women, we toured the different departments of CBS. After recording our voices and then hearing the transcription, we were taken to the sound effects department. Although it was interesting to learn how the sounds were produced, it was somewhat disillusioning. Dick Powell was the guest artist on "Spebsqua," a program for the preservation of barber shop quartets, for which we were lucky enough to obtain tickets.

Thursday evening we bowled in the Sunset Bowling Center, the largest establishment of this kind in the world. The alleys are housed in the old Warner Brothers studios. There are 52 lanes on one floor. Our only criticism of this recreational center was that it did not help our scores which were made public by flashing them on a screen where everyone might see.

Friday we were able to get on the inside of a large packing house in Azusa, Cal. We thoroughly enjoyed seeing the way in which our oranges are packed for shipment to Dayton and all points east. The women in these plants need never fear losing their jobs because of machines taking over as they are able to wrap and pack about 40 crates of oranges per day. We also saw the famous Rainbow Angling club near Azusa where all you have to do is throw in your line and pull out a mountain trout. Friday evening some friends took us to the famous Olvera st. in Los Angeles. It is the Mexican section of town. We enjoyed looking in some of the night clubs and shopping at the Mexican booths. Saturday we took in a countless number of places in an all day drive in Los Angeles and vicinity. The new Lockheed airplane factory was the first among these stops of interest. Here we saw an excellent example of our "all out" aid to Britain plan as there were hundreds of planes on the fields ready for shipment. We were greatly impressed with the Rose Bowl, where the annual New Year's Day football game is held but we were surprised to find that it wasn't as large as our expectations had led us to believe. After visiting this, we journeyed across town to Los Angeles' other famous Bowl, Hollywood Bowl. Its seating capacity is 20,000 and the "band shell" itself has marvelous acoustics. The bowl is in the height of the concert series at this time of the year. Having always wished to eat in one of the famous Brown Derbys, we climaxed our tour with a late lunch. In fact we were 10 minutes too late to see Dorothy Lamour. A rather strange coincidence occurred when our waiter overheard some conversation about Dayton and remarked that he also was a native Daytonian and had come from there three weeks ago.

Saturday night we had our first night life experience in California. The Coconut Grove at the Ambassador hotel was our first rendezvous. Freddie Martin was playing at the Grove. We had a long talk with the Grove's cameraman who, when he learned we had an article in The News, wanted our picture as well as Dorothy Lamour's. Cocoanut Grove is one of the favorite dining and dancing spots of the movie stars, but other than Miss Lamour, we were unfortunate in not recognizing others.

Sunday morning we heard Aimee McPherson at the regular Sunday morning services in her Angelus Temple.

Sunday evening our travels carried us to the Griffith Park observatory, where we inspected the museum there and looked through the telescope. It was a most thrilling experience to see the bright lights of our country's fifth largest city.

Carthay Circle, theater in which most of the movie premieres are held, was our next stopping point in our sightseeing of Southern California.

Walt Disney's [sic] latest and most spectacular picture, Fantasia, has a 24-week showing at the Carthay, and this theater is considered the best in the country for the Disney spectacle because of its perfect wiring for musical transcription.

Earl Carroll's theater afforded us our second taste of night life. Considered as Carroll's best production yet, his show was bubbling over with beautiful girls. Our evening was not without its bitter moments for the waiters continually made comments (in the background) about our not ordering enough to keep them busy.

Tuesday afternoon we visited the famous Huntington library and in the evening we heard a symphonic concert at the Hollywood Bowl. Lionel Barrymore was the guest soloist of the evening. As we had to go very early in order to obtain good seats we all took our writing kits to dash off a few notes home. Just before the symphony began everyone took a stretching spell and John Herbert was very embarrassed when he found that he had caught the hair of the woman in front of him in the zipper of his writing kit--unintentionally."